A day after Red Bulls coach Hans Backe told a Swedish newspaper that he planned to leave the club after his contract expires at season’s end, Backe backtracked. (AP Photo)

Backe, 60, is in the final year of contract and doesn’t know what the future holds. Even with general manager/sporting director Erik Solér’s recent firing and the club’s hiring of new general manager Jerome de Bontin, Backe said not to rule out a return to New York in ’13.

This contradicts what he told the Swedish newspaper Expressen on Thursday, when he said, “I’m moving home in December.” Backe also told Expressen that he hasn’t “heard anything” about a new contract offer from the Red Bulls.

The Red Bulls have had mixed results under Backe, finishing first in the Eastern Conference in ’10 but bowing out in the MLS Cup quarterfinals in each of the past two seasons. New York currently is 15-9-8 and in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, six points out of first with two games remaining in the regular season.